Squadron Leadership School

[TheSkyHornet]

I kind of wonder how you stretch SLS to an 8 week course.  When Officer Basic Course came out, I did that in a few hours.  Of course, they give you 90 days to do all of it.

Lots of discussion boards with required responses.

That's exactly how PME is conducted. I just finished up a 34 week course through the Naval War College. We had a couple discussions per week that we had to respond to. The discussions and interaction among the cohort is great. You're not learning in isolation and most of the other survivors have interacted off the Blackboard as well. Compare that to when I did ACSC, and it was in total isolation. Web based interactive learning is a good way to get the courses done. It's come a long way from the old ECI days...

Same with most of my online college courses. A lot of discussion boards. Even some of my classroom-based courses required us to get online every week or two and work through discussions. In fact, I had one class that was a classroom-based course on Day 1 and the professor decided it was a hassle driving to campus once a week and turned it into an online course. All of my online college courses were via Blackboard. We had an integrated Blackboard/AKO course with ROTC.

[MacGruff]

I took the in-person SLS earlier this year and TLC just a little while ago. The best parts about them are the discussions between the participants and the tips and techniques shared that way so I would vote for those to be taken early in your CAP careers.

A second major benefit of the in-person way is that you get to sit with comrades from other squadrons and get to spend some time to know them in person. Those connections will help me in my job A LOT!!!  (I know it's called networking... smirk).

Comparing those with OBC - which is a purely online task - I feel the time was better spent on SLS and TLC although I learned an equal amount of materials in OBC ... and it did NOT take my 12-16 hours. But that's OK.

[Jaison009]

I typically agree with this; however, I feel that through the discussions over the 8 weeks of the online CLC course I actually got more out of the course than I would have if attending in person. I also like that with the DBs there is nowhere for someone to hide or coast through the class.

SLS and CLC are MUCH better when taken in a classroom environment. The personal interactions are a big part of the draw and effectiveness of those courses.

[SarDragon]

I typically agree with this; however, I feel that through the discussions over the 8 weeks of the online CLC course I actually got more out of the course than I would have if attending in person. I also like that with the DBs there is nowhere for someone to hide or coast through the class.

SLS and CLC are MUCH better when taken in a classroom environment. The personal interactions are a big part of the draw and effectiveness of those courses.

What's a DB?

As for "hiding", no one hides in my class. Everyone participates. Otherwise, you don't successfully complete the course.

[Jaison009]

DB is discussion board. You and I both know there are members who have taken SLS and CLC and not learned anything and skated in the exercises. I know not everyone is like that but for every good instructor there are several more okay and even more not so hot instructors. As a PDO, I appreciated my time in the class a little more. I see the same thing in my job where I am an advanced disaster instructor and many volunteers are starting to get more out of individualized online courses than classroom events full of war stories and people who cannot manage a course. Luckily, we have been fixing and strengthening our instructor cadre.

I typically agree with this; however, I feel that through the discussions over the 8 weeks of the online CLC course I actually got more out of the course than I would have if attending in person. I also like that with the DBs there is nowhere for someone to hide or coast through the class.

SLS and CLC are MUCH better when taken in a classroom environment. The personal interactions are a big part of the draw and effectiveness of those courses.

What's a DB?

As for "hiding", no one hides in my class. Everyone participates. Otherwise, you don't successfully complete the course.

[TheSkyHornet]

Just an update on this---

I will be attending TLC at the OHWG PD weekend on 24OCT/25OCT. Some of my soon-to-be classmates said they have already taken the online SLS, which was an 8-week course and OHWG is still very open with approving it, without question in most cases. They usually seem to take about 2 months at a minimum to approve it. Because it's an interactive course, they want to get enough sign-ups at one time to make it worth the while for the person taking it. If it's just two students and an instructor, there's no benefit in having a bunch of discussions because you lose the variety in viewpoints.

Fair enough; although, that's most an assumption by those that filled me in, as they said specifically not to quote them on that. But makes much more sense.

I just hate the unknown......

[Гугл переводчик]

I took my SLS almost a month ago, and I'm still waiting on eservices to update so I can complete my level 2...

[LSThiker]

I took my SLS almost a month ago, and I'm still waiting on eservices to update so I can complete my level 2...

There is no "waiting on eservices to update" for this.  Talk with your Course Director and ask.  The process is:

1)  Course Director creates CAPF 11
2)  You sign in on CAPF 11 for course credit
3)  Course Director signs CAPF 11
4)  Course director sends CAPF 11 to Wing Commander (or appropriate designee)
5)  Commander signs CAPF 11
6)  Either Course Director or Commander send to NHQ for processing
7)  NHQ processes the CAPF 11, which for me was only about 3 business days after the receiving it

The longest part of the equation is usually the commander's signature.

[EMT-83]

I took my SLS almost a month ago, and I'm still waiting on eservices to update so I can complete my level 2...

There is no "waiting on eservices to update" for this.  Talk with your Course Director and ask.  The process is:

1)  Course Director creates CAPF 11
2)  You sign in on CAPF 11 for course credit
3)  Course Director signs CAPF 11
4)  Course director sends CAPF 11 to Wing Commander (or appropriate designee)
5)  Commander signs CAPF 11
6)  Either Course Director or Commander send to NHQ for processing
7)  NHQ processes the CAPF 11, which for me was only about 3 business days after the receiving it

The longest part of the equation is usually the commander's signature.

50-17 says all documents must arrive at NHQ within 14 days of course completion. I've never had NHQ take more than 2 business days to process.

[jdh]

From the day I got the email that the Form 11 from my class was being submitted (i took the online course) it took almost 2 weeks for it to show up in my eServices.

[Гугл переводчик]

After doing some digging, it seems like NHQ didn't receive documents, and the wing still has it. I'm just worried that this course will be null and void due to that.

[EMT-83]

After doing some digging, it seems like NHQ didn't receive documents, and the wing still has it. I'm just worried that this course will be null and void due to that.

They won't punish the course participants, but this could be a Finding on the next Compliance Inspection.

[CAP_truth]

If CAPF11 gets to the right person at NHQ it could be done within 24 hours.

[Гугл переводчик]

If CAPF11 gets to the right person at NHQ it could be done within 24 hours.

I've seldom had an issue with NHQ, and a quick phone call always resolves any issues I've ever had.
My wing... another story.